<html>
<head>
<style>

.colset { 
  -moz-column-count: 2; 
  -moz-column-width: 50px; 
  float: left; 
  border: 2px solid black; 
  height: 10em; 
  font: 12px monospace;
}

#t {
  display: inline-block;
  background: lightgreen;
  height: 7em;
  width: 29px;
}

</style>
</head>

<body onload="document.getElementById('t').style.width = '30px';">

<div class="colset">The quick <span><div id="t"></div>brown</span></div>

</body></html>
